MARSHAL LOUIS N. DAVOUT AND THE ART OF COMMAND A ...

In1803 Davout was given command of the camp atBruges. It'is there that we begin to see the developmentof his administrative and training skills. He insistedupon varied and carefully structured training andpublished a manual on inter-arm tactics. * -Davout. .developed the reputation as a.hard taskmaster. The only consolation to his subordinates was that he drove himself harder than he did his men. He continually set the example for his soldiers and endured the same conditions that they had to endure. ~avout set a precedent by trusting his subordinates and their capabilities. He issued orders and did not interfere unless they failed to meet his standards. Another characteristic which set Davout apart from his contemporaries was the attention that he paid to the health and weifare .of his soldiers. He continually made efforts to improve their daily living conditions. Unlike most of. the other marshals, Davout lived with his troops at Bruges. On 23 September 1805, he was formally appointed as the commander of 111 Corps. Davout had now spent nearly seventeen years in the army but commanded no more than two thousand men in battle. Consequently he had not yet displayed any great talents as a combat leader of any stature. This fact was to change during the period from December 1805 through June 1807. Though Davoutls I11 Corps participated in the great Maneuver of Ulm it saw little action. However,